Parliament accident: husband arrested on mistrust of terrorism

Suspect believed to be Salih Khater, 29, who is of Sudanese beginning and from Birmingham

A man has been held on distrust of terrorism offences after a car was driven into pedestrians and cyclists before gate-crashing outside parliament in Westminster, as Downing Street disclosed experts were working on hundreds of live counter-terrorism investigations.

The suspect, a 29 -year-old British national, was apprehended at the scene after armed police officers swooped on a silver-tongued Ford Fiesta that had crashed into defence impediments on St Margaret Street at about 7.40 am working on Tuesday.

The Guardian understands his figure is Salih Khater, who lives in the Sparkbrook area of Birmingham and is of Sudanese origin.

Scotland Yard said the man was not known to the security services and was not cooperating with investigating policemen, but owing to the clang appearing to be deliberate and the location it was being treated as a supposed terrorist attack.

The car travelled to London from Birmingham on Monday night and spent the time between around 1.25 am and 5.55 am in the Soho area, before moving to Westminster and Whitehall at about 6am where it remained before the incident an hour and 40 minutes later, police said.

Two address in Birmingham and one in Nottingham were researched on Tuesday. Roger Godsiff, the MP for Birmingham Hall Green, said:” Today’s attack at Westminster was carried out by an individual who is believed to have been living in my constituency in Birmingham .”

Nottinghamshire police indicated that they are supporting counter-terrorism men as they researched a residential owned in the Radford area of the city. The address is thought to be a flat on Peveril Street.

Neighbours told the Press Association that the house, said that he shared inhabitants, is home to six Sudanese beings. Ibrahim Ahmed, 24, who live in the same terrace row, said:” It’s Sudanese people who live there .”

The Nottingham Post reported that the car involved in the incident was registered to an address in Nottingham. The current proprietor of motor vehicles bought it on 20 June this year.

Two men and one dame were injured in the clang. One was treated at the background and two were sent to hospital and eventually discharged.

Theresa May said the threat level to the UK remained at severe, symbolizing an attack was considered highly likely. The prime minister’s spokesman said the security services and counter-terrorism police were carrying out 676 live investigations at the end of June, up from more than 500 in March.

He said 13 Islamist plots and four planneds by far-right extremists had been foiled in the past 18 months.

The home secretary, Sajid Javid, urged people to” stop an open subconsciou” about what had happened.” There are understandably a lot of questions about the incident … The briefing I have received from counter-terrorism police and the security services is that work is ongoing and they are doing everything they can to find out more ,” he said.

Security officials supported a Cobra meeting on Tuesday, chaired by the deputy national insurance consultant, Madeleine Alessandri, and have participated in Basu and representatives from the mayor of London’s office.

Downing Street said it was clear the security measures currently in place all over the Palace of Westminster had worked effectively and significant numbers of police had been on the background immediately.

No proposals ought to have established for May to return from her march holiday in Italy. The chancellor, Philip Hammond, is the most senior rector currently in the UK.

Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, said:” My speculations are with those hurt and injured outside parliament this morning in what is being treated as a terrorist incident. Our thanks go to our emergency services who responded immediately. Their fearlessnes preserves us safe daytime in, daytime out .”

The US president, Donald Trump, tweeted:” Another terrorist attack in London … These animals are crazy and must be dealt with through toughness and forte !”